22 CIRCULAR 2 7 8, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



room should be kept dark and should be well screened to prevent the 

 entrance of insects or rodents. 



In cold storage, temperature and humidity conditions are more 

 easily controlled, and vermin are usually held in check or kept o/iit 

 entirely by the low temperature. Dried fruits will usually keep for 

 about a year in cold storage (at 32° F.), whereas in the warehouse 

 or in common storage 4 to 6 months is often the extreme limit. After 

 prolonged storage, even at low temperatures, dried apples darken, 

 and prunes, figs, and raisins tend to "sugar," especially if their 

 moisture content is high when they are first stored. 



FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 



Frozen fruits in barrels should be held at about 0° to 10° F. if they 

 are to be stored for several months. If the temperature of the fruit 

 rises above 15° during the storage period there is danger of mold 

 growth and spoilage. 



For the freezing of fruits a temperature of 10° F. or lower is desir- 

 able for small containers and one of —5° to 0° for barrels. If freezing 

 takes place too slowly the same undesirable conditions may develop 

 that are encountered if the fruit is stored at too high a temperature 

 after being frozen (1 1 , 4-7). 



For best results frozen fruits should be held in airtight containers. 



The best temperature for freezing vegetables is from — 10° to —5° F. 

 For storage after freezing about 0° is satisfactory if ample provision 

 is made for rapid cooling until the product reaches the freezing point. 



NUTS 

 (Temperature, 32° to 50° F.; relative humidity, 75 to 80 percent) 



Most of the commercial nut crop, including walnuts of all kinds, 

 filberts, almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and sometimes pecans, is 

 usually held in ordinary warehouse storage through the winter follow- 

 ing harvest. The portion of the crop (except pecans) that is to be 

 kept through the following summer should be placed in cold storage 

 early in March. Pecans become stale and rancid much sooner than 

 most other kinds of nuts, and it is safer to put them in cold storage at 

 32° F. shortly after harvest. Brazil nuts can usually be kept satis- 

 factorily in warehouse storage during the winter, but that portion to 

 be held over summer should be stored at 32° before warm weather. 

 Brazil nuts should be carefully inspected before being accepted for 

 storage to see that they are well dried out or cured. Walnuts, filberts, 

 and almonds usually need not be stored below 40° to 45°. Chestnuts 

 are rarely held in any other way than in cold storage at 32° to 40°. 



Shelled and unshelled peanuts can be held at common warehouse 

 temperature during the winter, but during spring and summer shelled 

 peanuts should be kept in cold storage both for protection against 

 insects and to prevent development of rancidity. If cold storage is 

 not available, peanuts should be stored in the shell and small lots 

 shelled out as needed. Peanuts can usually be stored successfully in 

 the shell in common storage. When shelled they darken and become 

 rancid under these conditions, and therefore they should be shelled 

 out only as needed. In common storage care should be taken to 

 prevent infestation by insects. Fumigation is desirable for both 

 shelled and unshelled peanuts if they are to be held in common storage 

 during the summer. 



